Reviews by Beer-A-Lot:

An incredible beer from a style I'd not previously appreciated that much. While I love Scotch Ales, Old Ales have tended to be too dry or funky tasting for me. This beer is much more like an imperial stout. It looks like it, feels like it, and tastes like it. Extremely balanced and smooth tasting going down. I could easily put this in my Top 10 or Top 15 must-have list. As satisfying at first taste as the last. Doesn't need to warm up. doesn't need to grow on you. This is superb and unfortunately won't be easy to find. Gotta drink more while I can. (554 characters)

Pours a pretty dark brown to black with a slight tan head that cups the glass and remains after the majority dissipates. Nose wafts some chocolate, mild peat, traces of mild smoke, some wood character. Taste is similar but also has some brown sugar or molasses sweetness up from, while the linger blends some licorice and chocolate with peaty smokiness. A bit light and watery, with moderately low carbonation. Good. (420 characters)

11.2 ounce bottle, bottle #02468, April 2014. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about a half inch tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. Aroma is nice, the brew smells like peaty smoke, dark chocolate, roasted malt, coffee, and some vanilla. I think the taste is pretty much just like the aroma, but there's also a bit of iodine and dark bread noticeable too. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's creamy and coating with moderate carbonation. It's very smooth and easy to drink. If you like Scotch Whisky (and especially peaty ones), then you'll probably like this a lot, too. Truthfully, all of the Ola Dubh series brews I've had have been good, too bad this isn't made in bombers! Definitely worth trying. (746 characters)

Bottle: Poured a dark brown color ale with a medium size light brown foamy head with good retention and some light lacing notes. Aroma of light scotch notes with some toffee and light brown sugar notes is quite enticing. Taste is also dominated by toffee notes with some residual candi sugar balanced against some great scotch notes. Body is maybe thinner than I would have expected with some good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Not as complex as I was expecting but still very enjoyable. (494 characters)

Faint tan head presented, manages a small soapy collar with a filmy top. Body is classic dark walnut black.

Lots of thick vanilla bean on the nose, faint hints of dark berry fruit, soft caramel and spices. Slightly dry but quite creamy also with a hint of wetness.

Palate hits with a good balance of roast and toffee. Creamy sense is lost with a nice whiskey angle and sharpness dominating. Controlled. A goodgood classic grassy peaty finish mixing with a hop faint bitterness. Nice character and oak roundness with a mellow scotch finish and a little lingering black licorice.

Not a big scotch fan, but this is done nicely. Quite good actually. (698 characters)

A: The beer is black when viewed from afar; upon closer inspection the corners of the glass are very dark red in color. It poured with a short off white head that died down, leaving a small patch of bubbles on in the center of the glass, a collar around the edge, and some lacing down the sides.S: Light aromas of whiskey are present in the nose, these become a little stronger as the beer beings to warm up.T: Similar to the smell, the taste has light to moderate flavors of whiskey with some hints of smoked peat.M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There is a bit of smoothness.O: This beer grows upon you as it warms up, you really need to sip and savor it. It does a good job at masking the strength as you only gets some hints of alcohol from the whiskey barrel aging.

Draught in a flight. Then another pint. Pours an extremely black color with almost no head on it. Nose has some definite roasting in there, with that sour/bitterness that comes off from the scotch and a bit of a coffee smell. Taste is slightly smokey with a fair amount of the scotch coming through and SUPER smooth. Damn. This beer will put hair on your chest. (361 characters)

Overall / Drinkability: A slow sipper and I wish I had another bottle, but as expensive as these bottles are, this is probably one of those once in a lifetime treats. Overall, a special treat of a beer especially if you like scotch and beer, but I think the flavors of the Ola Dubh 18 are more intense and more enjoyable. (994 characters)